Capture your characters in images?

Nateskate · Oct 13, 2007

I'm not an illustrator, but I've tried to capture my characters. It is far more difficult than I thought, and eventually I'm hoping to work with an illustrator. Here's one of my Myspace Bulletins. Unfortunately, I think only Myspacers can open it. (If you know of another way I can post it, let me know)

I'd love to hear about your creatures, and whether you've tried to capture them. What do they look like. This is just one type of creature that exists in my novels.

http://bulletins.myspace.com/index....&MyToken=8e5cc22e-8b3a-451b-bab0-5c4ea889f923

ChaosTitan · Oct 13, 2007

For my latest urban fantasy, I wanted some images for a few creatures (goblin, troll, a funky amalgamation). Since I only have so-so sketching skills, I did random Google image searches. I found a few good ones, and while they aren't exactly how I picture my own versions of the critters, it helps. I like having those visuals.

Nateskate · Oct 13, 2007

ChaosTitan said:
For my latest urban fantasy, I wanted some images for a few creatures (goblin, troll, a funky amalgamation). Since I only have so-so sketching skills, I did random Google image searches. I found a few good ones, and while they aren't exactly how I picture my own versions of the critters, it helps. I like having those visuals.

Visuals do help, and in some cases, they influenced my stories. My headless Seer- if you go to my Myspace you can see them, began with an attempt to capture a character from my story in Photos, where I dressed up. I forgot to remove my glasses for several pics, ruining them. And so I toyed with removing my face, and saving the pics. That led to a story line to explain the partial disappearances. Lol

www.myspace.com/poetnate

J. R. Tomlin · Oct 14, 2007

I always cast my novels which isn't always easy, but I find it helps me keep them clearly in my mind's eye. I have to be able to see and hear my characters to write them.

I'm not much at illustration, to put it mildly, so sometimes it takes a lot of looking to find pictures and illustrations that match what I have in mind. But I end up with a wall full of pictures of my current characters. The creatures less so, but some of those as well.

Nateskate · Oct 14, 2007

J. R. Tomlin said:
I always cast my novels which isn't always easy, but I find it helps me keep them clearly in my mind's eye. I have to be able to see and hear my characters to write them.

I'm not much at illustration, to put it mildly, so sometimes it takes a lot of looking to find pictures and illustrations that match what I have in mind. But I end up with a wall full of pictures of my current characters. The creatures less so, but some of those as well.

Hi J.R. I think that can definitely help. There are so many great illustrators out there. Steve Wang is amazing. So when I put together an image in my mind, I wonder if it looks like something someone else has already created. I purposely don't want to borrow a character. So in my descriptions, I generally will pull from insects or animal features in the composit

Shweta · Oct 14, 2007

I do draw, and I find I can seldom deal with drawing or looking for pictures of my characters.
They're never close enough to what I have in mind, and they're always kind of static.

And they normally don't capture what I see within the character.
Perhaps this means I don't draw well enough

Nateskate · Oct 15, 2007

Shweta said:
I do draw, and I find I can seldom deal with drawing or looking for pictures of my characters.
They're never close enough to what I have in mind, and they're always kind of static.

And they normally don't capture what I see within the character.
Perhaps this means I don't draw well enough

This is my problem as well.

Azraelsbane · Oct 15, 2007

I am incapable of drawing. It's one of the few things I CANNOT do, no matter how much I try, and it bugs the heck outta me. Therefore, I have others draw my chars for me.

Here are a couple.

Luke:

Luke & Morghan

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 15, 2007

I'm not very visual, so I don't draw and I don't even look for pictures that might closely represent my creatures.

Everything is in my head and that's where it stays.

sunna · Oct 15, 2007

I draw a little, but not that well. However someone on AW pointed this site out a while back:
http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/Y/yourface/yourface_createMate.html

It's a long way from perfect, but it's fun to play with; I came up with something for each of my characters, captured the image in PaintShopPro, and altered it until it looked a little more like what I have in my head. Still cartoonish, and limited, but it's a heck of lot better than what I can manage with a pencil and paper.

And outside of making maps in AUTORealm, it's the most fun I've ever had procrastinating.

OmenSpirits.com · Oct 15, 2007

I'm a decent illustrator and came up with the designs for my anthology cover. Sent out a request to an illustrator to draw the cover using my character designs. He used them, came out great. Hired a pro digital painter and worked with him on color scheme.

The final product is a merge of my verbal/visual idea and both artist's abilities. If I weren't doing everything on the anthology, I'd have more time to learn to digi-paint and sharpen my illustrator skills (both of which are in my original background).

WillowArcane · Oct 15, 2007

I'm also the type the can't draw to save my life, so I search the net for images that might fit the characters I have in mind. I look for everything, from hair colour, hair style, clothing, weaponry, accessories, you name it. I have a folder on my computer for every character that has images just for them. I've even set up a "dark vs light" folder for figuring out which skin colour I want for my demons! It's time consuming, but I think it helps further flesh out the details.

Shweta · Oct 15, 2007

I think my real problem is that by the time I have a picture I like, it's taken me long enough to have written 20000 words

Sassee · Oct 16, 2007

This thread reminded me I haven't drawn in a while...

Maybe I'll do that at the bookstore tomorrow. (I'm taking the day off for my birthday and decided to celebrate by curling up in one of those cushy chairs for the *entire* day!)

I've tried to draw my creatures/characters before but they don't always turn out the way I imagine them. Sometimes they're better, sometimes they're worse.

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 16, 2007

Shweta said:
I think my real problem is that by the time I have a picture I like, it's taken me long enough to have written 20000 words

Exactly. I could get a whole lot of writing done in the time it takes me to figure out how to draw something in Paintshop or search the Internet for an appropriate image.

wood pixie · Oct 16, 2007

I sketch a little. For some reason I really don't like blank spaces and I end up sketching my elf characters on my cardboard log sheet divider. I was pulled into a weigh station and the D.O.T official asked for my log book. When he handed it back he asked me who the artist was. I told him about my novels and he said he wanted to read them when they were released. I still have a copy of my level one inspection. I plan to send him the first two books next month. He passed my truck with flying colors.

Hummingbird · Oct 16, 2007

I draw, but I can't do humans for beans. My avatar is not a good drawing, but until I get a scanner, that's what I can do on the computer.
I draw my dragon characters out, but I usually have to do them multiple times as I try to catch their personality. It's hard. I feel like I'm trying to write a character bio all over again, even though I have an idea how they look.
(Character bios are hard...

; Yeah, I'm weird.)

That's cool the different ways you guys have come up with pictures for your characters! I should try a few.

AzraelsBane: I like your drawings.

You should see my people. *cringes at thought*

Azraelsbane · Oct 17, 2007

Hummingbird said:
AzraelsBane: I like your drawings. You should see my people. *cringes at thought*

Thanks, though those are definitely not my drawings, just my characters.

Someone else drew them for me. I can't draw flies.

Nateskate · Oct 17, 2007

Azraelsbane said:
I am incapable of drawing. It's one of the few things I CANNOT do, no matter how much I try, and it bugs the heck outta me. Therefore, I have others draw my chars for me.

Here are a couple.

Luke:

Luke & Morghan

I love these pictures.

Nateskate · Oct 17, 2007

wood pixie said:
I sketch a little. For some reason I really don't like blank spaces and I end up sketching my elf characters on my cardboard log sheet divider. I was pulled into a weigh station and the D.O.T official asked for my log book. When he handed it back he asked me who the artist was. I told him about my novels and he said he wanted to read them when they were released. I still have a copy of my level one inspection. I plan to send him the first two books next month. He passed my truck with flying colors.

That's quite impressive!

Azraelsbane · Oct 17, 2007

Nateskate said:
I love these pictures.

You know, there's a good story that goes along with them... LOL

Thanks

Sunkissed27f · Oct 17, 2007

2 of mine......No Stealing!!
The one on the left is Flower Girl..she is a scanned in work in progress, just needs to be colored.
The one on the right is Pretty in Pink she is ink, color pencils.

More: Though not the good stuff....keeping away the thieves.
http://sunkissed27f.deviantart.com/

Hummingbird · Oct 17, 2007

Azraelsbane: Oops, you did mention that you had someone do them for you. Oh well! Still, very nice!

Sunkissed: Those are good too! I love your color on Pretty in Pink.

small axe · Oct 17, 2007

Interesting thread!

Myself, I draw and illustrate halfway decently (in an underground comix sort of way, not fine art rendering) but I cannot be inspired by my own artwork there ... I'm a voracious tearer-out-of-magazine-pages though (that vacation photo of the couple on the beach becomes the doomed lovers of Atlantis, etc) and I collect old photos and photograph my own things (a cool car on the street becomes an alien larvae etc)

One of my compulsions is to create coverart illustrations for the notebook I write story ideas and prose fiction or screenplays in (I write first drafts long hand, then type and revise) ... here's a fusion of an old farm family photo I bought in an antique store for $1 and a spooky Indiana farm house I saw off the road and photographed. Cool stuff happens in Photoshop!

Anyway, the images turned into an idea and cover art for the story ...

Sunkissed27f · Oct 17, 2007

Thank you, Hummingbird.

I have tons of drawings, and I sadly don't have a decent scanner.
I would love to illustrate children's books!

Anyone interested

Capture your characters in images?

Nateskate

ChaosTitan

Around

Nateskate

J. R. Tomlin

Nateskate

Shweta

gone

Nateskate

Azraelsbane

Agony is defeat

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

sunna

OmenSpirits.com

WillowArcane

Child of the Fae

Shweta

gone

Sassee

Momma Wolf

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

wood pixie

Hummingbird

Pen, Paper, Prepared. ...Write!

Azraelsbane

Agony is defeat

Nateskate

Nateskate

Azraelsbane

Agony is defeat

Sunkissed27f

Hummingbird

Pen, Paper, Prepared. ...Write!

small axe

memento mori

Sunkissed27f